

CO₂ recycling: road to independence
Win-win with Linde
Prefabricated modules for speedy assembly
The majority of the process plant will be engineered remotely – in the form of large individual modules, which will then be hooked up on site. Linde subcontractors in Germany’s Dresden area will provide the gas purification and liquefaction process units, for instance. Meanwhile, a Turkish supplier was responsible for ensuring the precast storage tanks were fully insulated before loading them onto trucks and shipping them.
Once the various components engineered at the different sites are ready, they are transported by land and sea to the Manchester location. “This approach accelerates on-site assembly activities, substantially speeding up delivery overall. It also means the plant can be easily relocated at a future point in time – and that makes this modular design unique”, enthuses Andreas Lodig. BOC also sees the value of this approach: “At the end of the day, all we need to do is lay the foundations here in Manchester – and as soon as all the components are delivered, the entire plant will be up and running in just a few months”, confirms Matthew Onions. Once the facility goes on stream, it is designed to yield 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide per day at full capacity. That works out at 36,000 tonnes per year.
Smooth handover with 100% recovery rates
In addition to securing its own independent LCO2 supply, BOC is particularly keen to maximise efficiencies. The aim is for every single CO2 molecule generated by the alcoholic fermentation process to find its way into the storage tanks in future. Part of this efficiency drive includes seamless handover of plant operations to BOC. The Linde experts who will initially take the plant on stream will train the BOC team in parallel, ensuring no time or resources are wasted right from day one. As an industrial hub, Manchester is also home to many prospective buyers for the purified carbon dioxide. This will ensure short supply routes – whether the LCO2 is ultimately used to flash-freeze fresh produce, create a modified atmosphere for meat packing or put the fizz into soft drinks.
Some of the prefabricated modules like the tank platforms are from Germany.